Why Are My Veins So Visible?

What Causes Visible Veins?

Many factors contribute to the appearance of visible veins. These may include:

• Hormones
• Aging
• Long periods of standing or sitting
• Genetics
• Smoking
• Obesity

All these factors contribute to the primary cause of visible veins. They can all cause blood to pool in your leg veins, stressing the valves that keep blood from flowing backward. Weakening these valves causes blood to back into other veins, stretching them. This pooled blood also bulges these stretched veins, giving them a twisted or rope-like appearance. 

How are Leg Veins Treated?

Appropriate treatment for your visible veins depends on their underlying cause and other factors. Dr. Dohner offers a range of leg vein treatments to meet your needs. He may treat your visible veins using methods including:

Endovenous Laser Treatments (EVLT)

This laser treatment treats varicose veins by treating the damaged veins that feed into them. It uses a pulse of laser energy to damage the vein, causing it to close. The visible veins will fade over the following weeks or months, depending on their size, color, and your body’s response. 

Varithena and Ultrasound-Guided Sclerotherapy

Ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy can treat problem veins under the skin by injecting a sclerosing foam called Varithena. This foam irritates the vein walls, causing them to collapse. Sclerotherapy can also be used to treat many spider veins. 

Ambulatory Phlebectomy

This treatment for surface veins produces immediate results by removing the vein. Dr. Dohner makes freckle-sized openings and uses special tools to pull out a section of the vein. This makes the vein disappear immediately without waiting for it to fade.